Photo Challenge: ELEMENTAL
“The three great elemental sounds in nature are the sound of rain, the sound of wind in a primeval wood, and the sound of outer ocean on a beach.” Henry Beston
Photo Challenge: ELEMENTAL – Revisiting the Hudson River and vicinity
Photo Challenge: ELEMENTAL – Revisiting the Hudson River and vicinity
For this week’s photo challenge on – Elemental – I went back to familiar territory and took photos of the Hudson River and some of the life around it. I included a few photos of movements including a shot of a field where the tornado of last fall had stripped the trees of life… I will upload a bigger photo later. I’ve also shared part of a poem by Walt Whitman on the subject. I think he does a better job of speaking about it than I could. Enjoy!
Photo Challenge: ELEMENTAL – Revisiting the Hudson River and vicinity
Elemental Drifts. by Walt Whitman
1
ELEMENTAL drifts!
How I wish I could impress others as you have just been impressing me!
As I ebb’d with an ebb of the ocean of life,
As I wended the shores I know,
As I walk’d where the ripples continually wash you, Paumanok,
Where they rustle up, hoarse and sibilant,
Where the fierce old mother endlessly cries for her castaways,
I, musing, late in the autumn day, gazing off southward,
Alone, held by this eternal Self of me, out of the pride of which I utter my poems,
Was seiz’d by the spirit that trails in the lines underfoot,
In the rim, the sediment, that stands for all the water and all the land of the globe.
Fascinated, my eyes, reverting from the south, dropt, to follow those slender winrows,
Chaff, straw, splinters of wood, weeds, and the sea-gluten,
Scum, scales from shining rocks, leaves of salt-lettuce, left by the tide:
Miles walking, the sound of breaking waves the other side of me,
Paumanok, there and then, as I thought the old thought of likenesses,
These you presented to me, you fish-shaped island,
As I wended the shores I know,
As I walk’d with that eternal Self of me, seeking types.
More Below!
“There is no logical way to the discovery of these elemental laws. There is only the way of intuition, which is helped by a feeling for the order lying behind the appearance.” Albert Einstein
Photo Challenge: ELEMENTAL – Revisiting the Hudson River and vicinity
Photo Challenge: ELEMENTAL – Revisiting the Hudson River and vicinity
When I think of the elements, water comes to mind first, then the rest… I am drawn to water because I find it healing and the hypnotic sound calms me. What would you have featured for this photo challenge?
Poem Contd
2
As I wend to the shores I know not,
As I list to the dirge, the voices of men and women wreck’d,
As I inhale the impalpable breezes that set in upon me,
As the ocean so mysterious rolls toward me closer and closer,
I, too, but signify, at the utmost, a little wash’d-up drift,
A few sands and dead leaves to gather,
Gather, and merge myself as part of the sands and drift.
O baffled, balk’d, bent to the very earth,
Oppress’d with myself that I have dared to open my mouth,
Aware now, that, amid all that blab whose echoes recoil upon me, I have not once had the
least
idea who or what I am,
But that before all my insolent poems the real ME stands yet untouch’d, untold,
altogether
unreach’d,
Withdrawn far, mocking me with mock-congratulatory signs and bows,
With peals of distant ironical laughter at every word I have written,
Pointing in silence to these songs, and then to the sand beneath.
Now I perceive I have not understood anything—not a single object—and that no
man
ever can.
I perceive Nature, here in sight of the sea, is taking advantage of me, to dart upon me,
and
sting me,
Because I have dared to open my mouth, to sing at all. READ the REST on FamousPoemsandPoets
This post was inspired by a prompt from WP Daily Post: ELEMENTAL For this week’s challenge, explore the classical elements of earth, air, water, and fire. How do you capture something invisible like air, or the movement of water? Or, more personally, is there a place you go to feel connected to the earth? Take a moment to explore these elements, in or out of balance, together or individually, as you pick up your camera this week.
Positive Motivation Tip: All of nature is elemental…
PHOTO CREDITS/ATTRIBUTIONS: All Photos from my personal collection.
Until Next Time…
Ask. Believe. Receive. ©
Elizabeth Obih-Frank
Mirth and Motivation
Positive Kismet
What a wonderful poem Elizabeth, that evokes all the senses and beautifully portrays the elements. And your photos are the perfect accompaniment. 💜
Thank you Miriam. I enjoyed this challenge.
My family and I lived in Dobbs Ferry two years ago. We loved going down to the Hudson River and playing at the park along the banks.
What a nice surprise… I live next door. Yep, my neighborhood indeed.
I would have chosen water as well, there is something about the sound and image that make me feel so calm. I also think about fire as well, I can feel quite relaxed around a fire or fireplace etc. We all need to get back to the elements from time to time!
We do… they serve a great purpose in our lives.
These are beautiful photos. Great job with the challenge. Scenery photos are always my favorite to look at!
Same…
Fire! I have always been fascinated with it! But definitely all the elements have their own unique features and it’s amazing how they mold the Earth. I enjoyed reading this post very much especially that poem.
I would have gladly included fire but I am glad I didn’t have to create one. Hahah!
I love your pictures! There is such an air of tranquillity and peacefulness.
Glad you picked up on that too…
I think water was the perfect element to feature this week as I too am drawn to water. I love how one minute it can be calm and serene and the next moment it can be passionate and wild x
Indeed. I wish I had taken photos of the choppy water a few days before. It would have made a great contrast. 🙂
brilliant photos, it all looks so serene and the poetry was spell binding, he really did a great work at it.
Beautiful poem, and I never knew the Hudson river was so beautiful ❤️ Loved the theme of the challenge and without doubt all your clicks are superb👍🏻👍🏻
You are welcome to join in. Open to all! 🙂
I always enjoy reading your posts Elizabeth and find them very calming but also quite thought provoking too. There is a park I pass on my way home from work everyday so I’m going to stop by tonight and try to take a photo whilst thinking about the ‘Elemental’ word.
Good for you! I would love to hear what you learned from the exercise.
“As I wend to the shores I know not,
As I list to the dirge, the voices of men and women wreck’d,
As I inhale the impalpable breezes that set in upon me,
As the ocean so mysterious rolls toward me closer and closer,
I, too, but signify, at the utmost, a little wash’d-up drift,
A few sands and dead leaves to gather,
Gather, and merge myself as part of the sands and drift.”
These lines are just amazing. You have very beautifully summarized how we gather, regather, merge and drift ourselves like sand. All those people, memories, emotions everything.
I absolutely loved the images from the Hudson river too.
Thank you too for your beautiful insights! 🙂
Wow! Beautiful photos! I think I would have chosen water as well. It’s interesting because in some ways I’m afraid of the water but I am also intrigued by it.
A kindred spirit… <3
These are beautiful photos! I love walking along the Hudson as well.
We are neighbors? 🙂
When I think of elements – water comes to mind first as well. Second is fire. What an interesting topic for a post. I can honestly say I have never thought about this before today. Lovely poem too.
Glad you enjoyed this and checked in!
What gorgeous photos! I have never seen the Hudson river other than on the television, these are lovely photos and another great photo challenge!
It’s got a lot of charm.
I love all photos, very beautiful site, i would like to visit this place some day, btw what camera you’re using for taking pictures?
I have a Canon Ti1 but I also use my Samsung7 smartphone camera.
Those photos of the Hudson River are so amazing! I want to get out and take some landscape photos now. There is something so serene about photos of the outdoors. I love to hike to feel connected to the earth and just hear myself think.
That is why I go back again and again
We have been so busy with our move and my son’s camps that it has been a while since a hike or weekend camping. i need to lay by water again
legit the sound of the water that u posted kinda made me relax on a Friday afternoon at work. its pretty busy today, this is a good ice breaker.
Glad it helped you! 🙂
A photograph is a challenge is what which helps a person to innovate new ideas and view different aspect of life. I am also learning photography and it is a great experience so far.
I grew up on a farm in rural Iowa and truly there’s no better way to be connected to the earth than farming. In the summers we had a cottage on Lake Okoboji and spent our time on skiing on the water. Between the two, it made for a truly magical childhood. x
I believe you. I spent part of my childhood on a farm and they are some of my best memories of that phase of life.
Choosing Elemental subject for photography is great as it connects your soul with nature. For me also when I see water or blue sky, I just get drawn towards it. Thanks for sharing!
Yes, the balance is unmistakable… no dissonance at all.
The pictures you have here are very beautiful. I do love the peaceful serenity that exudes from them. And it does take one back to the basics. Of course the Walt Whitman poem is pretty incredible as well.
Thank you dear one! It is an escape for me…
I couldn’t stop my untold longing of what nature could give to humans. I am imagining the freshness, the unstoppable sound of leaves of the trees as blown by the wind. Nature has been abused. No chance anymore that it be restored to what it’s in the beginning of time. So sad 😧 – Gil Camporazo
Don’t give up!
Your photos are beautiful. How to capture air? not sure, but does make me think though, maybe using a balloon in some way?, water can be done with the correct camera settings. Such a fun challenge will let my mind go a bit and see if i can come up with something over the weekend. (i enjoyed the poem 🙂 )
Good. Go for it and do share so I can enjoy your take on it. The waves came to mind but it was nit such a day here.
I love that poem by Walt Whitman! I remember reading his work as a kid and loving how moved he was just by nature. I have always been a nature lover, and there is something so peaceful about be immersed in it. Whenever I am having a bad day, going for a walk or jog outside always makes me feel better.
Helps me too… all the time. Clears my mind
This was beautiful. The place that I go to replenish my soul and connect with nature is the ocean. There I feel revived and refreshed. I try to take an annual trip to the beach and spend time being still. It’s at the ocean weaves come and go I see them and washing my soul of all cares and troubles.
I do the same as water is cleansing and healing. I never tire of being near bodies of water.
This was beautiful and very moving. My place of connection is the ocean. I try to go on annually, it is there that my soul is revived and refreshed. As I stand on the beach and listen to the waves it is as if they are washing all of my troubles away and I feel close to God.
I feel the same way too… very comforting.
You got some great photos here. I am really liking your photo challenge and i enjoyed the poem too.
You really have a way with words and your writing is beautiful. My little one is also very much drawn to water. So soothing and calming even when the waves crash.
Thank you Sheri… I appreciate your feedback. Water is very healing for me too so I spend time near it.
I love walking around and enjoying the scenery. Especially with my kiddos. It truly is a blessing to see all of God’s creations!
Beautiful pictures and poem! When I’m close to nature, water mostly, I feel more alive.
I love water, rain, river, ocean, puts me at peace. I actually have an app with water sounds for the kids, work wonders. I think you did an amazing job with your photos.
I love how placid the water looks in your photo. There’s a certain stopping-of-time when when enjoying the quiet of nature.
These pictures are really beautiful 🙂 Not big fan of this poem but pictures are amazing
Water really can be healing. I’m torn though because while it does sometimes evoke those peaceful and happy feelings, there are other times it makes me very restless.
Wow! I really liked the pics and the poem…water as an element is so beautiful. Great post!
Keep them coming these are all beautiful. Also can be great stock photos. You have a great talent.
All your photos are simple, fresh, and inspiring, and the most interesting thing to me is that they are just reflecting what I witness around me every single day, familiar and breathtaking.
Together with those beautiful lines of poems, I am truly refreshed.
Also, water is an invaluable gift from Mother Nature, isn’t it?
Thanks so much for sharing and inspiring.
Thank you for your thoughtful insights. 🙂
The sound of waves is so calming. If I had my way, I would love to live in a small house near the beach so I can hear that sound for the rest of my life. However, since our business and livelihood is in the city, I make use of a sound machine that gives me calming white noise – the different sounds it gives me – thunderstorm and rain, ocean waves, leaves rustling in the wind, and chirping birds. Me and my husband have the sound machine on our bedroom night stand. So relaxing to listen to elemental sounds.
One of my kids loves using a sound machine in her room and I think she has a spare one… I might just borrow it. I love it too.
Wow! All these pictures are so beautiful and calming. I love the smell of sand after rain and love clicking pictures of woods. Thanks for sharing!
I like the sound of the beach really. It helps me calm and at ease relaxing from the stress of life. So, I really enjoy being on a beach.
These pictures by the hudson river are exquisite, especially where the forest had been stripped due to the hurricane.
Honestly, I didn’t do the horror of the stripped trees justice. It’s in a nearby town and I will venture out there and take better shots soon.
I like going to the beach as I always feel more connected with the earth when I’m there. The ocean is so vast that it really puts the challenges and joys of life in perspective for me. Love your articles and appreciate you sharing your interests.
If I am to take a photo for this challenge I would take a picture of trees where the branches and leaves are swaying with the gentle breeze of the wind.
I love the pictures. I often wander outside and take random pictures. I enjoy being outdoors just enjoying nature. I also love the way you mix up the poems along with the pictures. Keep it up.
Interesting… I like to walk around with my camera and/or smartphone and take shots of things I love.
I’m always pleased to see photos of your area my love, it’s so beautiful!
I never tire of nature… and life in a small village means there is only so much you can feature. Nature wins almost all the time. 🙂
You always have the deepest post! Love the poem to go with the photography you took makes me feel like I was out in nature with you!
Thank you Kiwi!
I appreciate the photos of nature. The little things that we can find in nature are so beautiful, it often calms me. Whenever there`s a heavy rain before sunrise or after sunset, I can just soak in the sound of the rain falling and feel the cozy atmosphere.
❀ Grace ❀
It is one of my favorite sounds… rainfall.
Interesting way to interpreting sounds of pure nature for the Elemental topic! Even hearing the bustle of leaves in the middle of forest gives a similar feel!!!
These pictures are so beautiful. It was super hot in Hungary this week, so me and my little one were stuck in the house. These pictures brought me some refreshing nature, and coolness in these moment. Thanks for sharing.
All of these photos are so beautiful!!
Beautiful photos. I love the relaxing sounds of the elements. Flowing water, gentle winds and a small fire crackling are my faves.
Mine too… I do love those sounds.
The sound of rain makes me feel so good! It makes me feel so peaceful! Love this post!!
Likewise. Thank you!
What wonderful and relaxing photos. Hanging out on the beach is so relaxing, especially when you hear the sounds of waves and wind, it feels like a massage in my mind. Especially when we are stressed, those are the perfect places to visit.
That is why I love being near water.
Beautiful photos as always Elizabeth! They make me feel so calm and relaxed. And not only the photos, but looking at the photos + reading the text makes me feel that way!
You are welcome… That was the intention I set. Glad you connected to it.
Other than the sound of the crashing beach waves, rain is one of my favorite sounds…especially at night! so soothing and relaxing!
Still a favorite of mine too.
I love this! We had a chance to lie in a tent this weekend and listen to the sounds of nature and it was pretty relaxing until a pack of coyotes came by. Then it got a bit scary, but still there is so much to hear and see if you just stop and listen.
Being out in nature and hearing the basic water/wind/nature sounds are just so peaceful and relaxing…really brings us back to “earth.”
These pictures are so beautiful. The elements looks so peaceful. I would love stay there.
These photo’s are stunning. They truly capture how amazing God’s creation is.
Amen!
This is an interesting post and topic. I really believe I am captivated by the earth or everything around me when I am waking in the woods. There are so many beautiful sounds and sights that are so calming to so many if they just listen. Thanks for sharing these awesome poems. your thoughts, and a great quote by Albert Einstein.
Glad to hear from you Rebecca… sending love and healing your way! <3
It’s satisfying to see the same theme in all your photos. It makes me feel that I’m connected with nature 🙂 Thanks for sharing this here!
Glad you love nature as much as I do.
Nature is so big and diverse that there is always an opportunity for a photo. I could spend so much time just photographing flowers. So I completely get the appeal of nature and elements. Your photos are amazing and somehow super relaxing!
Can’t go wrong with Walt Whitman!
Moreover, your photos are beautiful! Perhaps I need to start challenging myself as way to get stronger photography skills. 😄 You’ve inspired me to start!
Your poem are really so wonderful. The sounds of the elements are making my mind so peaceful.
All of these photos are so beautiful. I love the poem & I wish I can visit the Hudson River someday!!
The pictures are beautiful. I love finding relaxation in art and photos
Love these words!!! And your photos are beautiful.
Your post is very soothing. The quality of the photos are amazing and show a calmness in nature. I do also focus on the water as it feeds everything around it.
Wow! This is so inspirational and I love the pictures. They are so beautiful.
Great poem, beautiful post, well written thoughts and explanation. All amazing!
Beautiful photo’s of all this wonderful nature we are surrounded by. The poems are deep and meaningful. Everything together just brings on relaxation.
This post reminds me of one of my favorite words, which is “psithurism”. It means “the sound of the wind in the trees”.
Great presentation of the elements. Such views of water & what seems like fresh air
i love the water and trees and the whole concept of nature. I’m in an escape the clutter of everyday type of mood so those were very tranquil to look at.
Elemental, to me: Trees. Just, trees. And nice to “meet” you in the blogosphere. Glad to have you in my WordPress network.
I love the water! I love being near the water, love when it rains! Water can be very healing.
really amazing 🙂